The Anatomy of Calm: A Functional Guide to Box Breathing (Sama Vritti)

When anxiety strikes or a high-pressure situation looms, the most common advice you will hear is to "just take a deep breath." From a physiological standpoint, this is often counterproductive. Gulping massive amounts of air when your nervous system is already hijacked can easily lead to hyperventilation, amplifying the panic response.

The true mechanism for down-regulating your nervous system does not rely on the volume of oxygen you inhale, but rather on the rhythm and the pauses of your breathing cycle.

This is the foundation of Box Breathing, a technique that has seamlessly transitioned from ancient yogic texts to modern clinical settings, athletic locker rooms, and tactical military operations. Here is a grounded, science-based look at where it comes from, how to execute it flawlessly, and why it works so rapidly.

Tactical Modernity Meets Ancient Roots

If you search for Box Breathing today, you will likely find references to the U.S. Navy SEALs. In the early 2000s, former SEAL Commander Mark Divine popularized this symmetrical breathing pattern as a tactical tool. The goal was purely practical: soldiers needed a reliable way to lower their heart rates, stop combat-induced tunnel vision, and regain cognitive clarity without needing to sit in a meditative trance.

However, the architectural blueprint of this technique is over two millennia old.

In the foundational text of classical yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 2nd century BCE), sutra 2.50 outlines the core components of pranayama (breath control). Patanjali describes regulating the breath through inhalation (puraka), exhalation (rechaka), and suspension (kumbhaka), noting that when measured by time and count, the breath becomes "long and subtle."

While medieval Hatha Yoga often favored intense, asymmetrical breathing ratios (like the 1:4:2 pattern) to aggressively stress and adapt the body, the 20th-century yoga renaissance brought balance back to the forefront. Pioneers of modern functional yoga, such as T. Krishnamacharya and B.K.S. Iyengar, heavily documented Sama Vritti (which translates to "equal fluctuation" or symmetrical movement).

Box breathing is simply Sama Vritti stripped of its Sanskrit terminology and optimized for the modern nervous system.

The Protocol: Mastering the Mechanics

Executing the technique is straightforward, but biomechanical precision is what makes it effective. Find a position where your pelvis is neutral and your spine is naturally upright to allow full diaphragmatic excursion.

All breathing must be done exclusively through the nose to filter the air and harness the production of nitric oxide.

• The Inbound Leg (4 seconds): Draw air in slowly, feeling a lateral expansion in your lower ribs and abdomen. Count to four at a steady pace.
• The Top Suspension (4 seconds): Hold the breath with your lungs full. Crucial biomechanical tip: Do not clamp your throat shut or bear down (avoid the Valsalva maneuver). Keep your vocal cords and neck completely relaxed, suspending the air simply by keeping your ribcage expanded.
• The Outbound Leg (4 seconds): Release the air in a smooth, controlled stream, emptying your lungs completely by the count of four.
• The Bottom Suspension (4 seconds): Sit in the emptiness. This is where psychological discomfort usually peaks. Relax your shoulders, soften your jaw, and hold for four seconds before beginning the next cycle.

Functional Scaling: The magic lies in the 1:1:1:1 symmetry, not the four-second rule. If holding on empty for four seconds triggers an anxiety response, scale the entire box down to a 3-second count. If you are highly conditioned, you can expand it to a 5- or 6-second box.

The Neurobiology of Symmetrical Breathing

We do not use Box Breathing because of mystical energy channels; we use it because it acts as a direct, mechanical lever on our autonomic nervous system. Clinical and psychophysiological research highlights four primary mechanisms at play:

1. Vagal Brake Activation

By forcing a slow, deliberate cadence—typically dropping your respiratory rate to about 3 to 4 breaths per minute—you stimulate the baroreceptors in your neck and chest. This sends immediate signals through the vagus nerve to the brainstem, effectively applying the "vagal brake." Your brain interprets this slow rhythm as a signal of safety, immediately reducing sympathetic drive (fight-or-flight) and lowering both blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Cardiovascular Harmony (HRV)

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a primary indicator of nervous system resilience. Through a phenomenon called respiratory sinus arrhythmia, your heart rate naturally speeds up slightly when you inhale and slows down when you exhale. The equal, prolonged phases of Box Breathing synchronize your respiratory and cardiovascular rhythms, significantly boosting HRV and promoting systemic recovery.

3. Biochemical Resilience (CO₂ Tolerance)

The urge to breathe is not driven by a lack of oxygen, but by the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO_2) in the bloodstream. The empty lung pause (bottom suspension) challenges your brain's central chemoreceptors. Over time, practicing this mild, controlled CO_2 buildup trains your respiratory center to tolerate higher levels of the gas. This physiological adaptation directly reduces basal anxiety and mitigates chronic over-breathing.

4. Neurological Redirection

Functional MRI (fMRI) studies show that the dual task of tracking a steady mental count while physically regulating airflow forces the brain to reallocate resources. Blood flow shifts away from the amygdala (the brain's threat-detection center) and toward the prefrontal cortex. This restores executive functioning, allowing for logical decision-making in the midst of chaos.

A functional dose of Box Breathing is incredibly time-efficient. Practicing for 3 to 5 minutes (roughly 12 to 20 complete cycles) is enough to alter your neurochemistry. Try utilizing this protocol before stepping into a stressful meeting, as a transition into your physical asana practice, or simply to clear brain fog during a busy workday.

Have you noticed which of the four phases feels the most challenging for your body when you practice this technique?

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider before starting any breathwork practice, especially if you have cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.

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Retraining Diaphragmatic Breathing: The Tactile Biofeedback Method

 Most people trying to fix shallow breathing make the exact same mistake: they force their stomach out.

​Deliberately pushing the abdominal wall forward engages the abdominal muscles rather than relaxing them. True diaphragmatic breathing is not a muscular push; it is an expansion caused by the downward excursion of the diaphragm, which naturally displaces the abdominal organs.

​Because the diaphragm sits inside the lower rib cage and lacks direct sensory visibility, commanding it to move rarely works. What does work is tactile biofeedback—giving your nervous system an external physical reference point to respond to. A single hardcover book is often all you need

​Why External Weight Works: The Physiology

​Using a small amount of weight on the abdomen alters how the central nervous system perceives respiration:

• ​Sensory Mapping via Mechanoreceptors: Placing a flat, mild resistance across the abdomen activates cutaneous and fascial mechanoreceptors. This gives the somatosensory cortex an immediate geographical target, allowing the diaphragm to contract efficiently without recruiting accessory muscles in the neck or upper chest.
• ​Vagal Nerve Stimulation: As the diaphragm descends under this gentle resistance, it creates rhythmic intra-abdominal pressure changes. These pressure shifts stimulate the abdominal branches of the vagus nerve, signaling the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system to reduce heart rate and lower systemic cortisol levels.
• ​Inhibiting Neck and Shoulder Tension: Chronic chest breathers overwork their scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and upper trapezius muscles. Working supine with a weighted cue encourages these cervical muscles to stay silent, shifting mechanical work back to the primary respiratory engine.
• ​Hemodynamic and Visceral Mobilization: The gentle oscillation against resistance massages the internal organs, assisting venous return toward the heart and promoting healthy peristaltic activity in the digestive tract.

​The Drill: Step-by-Step Protocol

​1. Constructive Rest Setup

​Lie on your back on a firm mat or carpet. Bend your knees, placing the soles of your feet flat on the floor, roughly hip-width apart. Keeping the knees bent is essential: it takes tension off the psoas major and the abdominal wall, allowing the pelvis to rest in a neutral position.

​2. Positioning the Book

​Place a thick hardcover book (a dictionary or substantial novel) across your abdomen, centered over the navel. Rest your arms comfortably by your sides, palms facing upward, with your shoulders completely relaxed.

​3. The Inhalation (Ascent)

​Inhale smoothly and quietly through the nose. Do not attempt to take a massive gulp of air. Simply allow the incoming air to expand the lower torso, letting the weight of the book lift an inch or two toward the ceiling. The movement should feel soft and effortless.

​4. The Exhalation (Descent)

​Exhale slowly and continuously through the nose (or through slightly parted lips if releasing acute tension). Do not pull your navel to your spine; let gravity bring the book down naturally as the diaphragm relaxes back into its dome shape.

​5. Duration and Pace

​Maintain this cadence for 5 to 10 minutes. Aim for a steady, unforced pace—roughly 4 to 5 seconds in and 5 to 6 seconds out.

​Common Mistakes to Watch For

• ​Active Abdominal Pushing: The book should rise because the lungs are filling downward and expanding the abdominal cavity, not because you are flexing your core muscles outward.
• ​Upper-Chest Leading: If your chest lifts before the book moves, you are still breathing into your upper lobes first. Downscale the breath volume: make the breath smaller and softer until only the book moves.
• ​Hyperventilation: Diaphragmatic retraining is not about taking huge breaths. Oversized breaths purge too much carbon dioxide, causing lightheadedness and triggering mild sympathetic arousal. Keep the breath quiet, small, and continuous.

​Looking for a structured daily practice?

If you want clear, step-by-step guidance on postural alignment, breathwork, and establishing a consistent routine at home, check out my practical manual:

​📖 Yoga at Home: A Practical Guide from Scratch — [Available on Amazon in Paperback & Kindle]

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SEDENTARY LIFE, AESTHETICS, SPORTS, HEALTH ... AND YOGA

 

The average human being of the 21st century has a problem: if he does nothing he becomes sedentary. And it is so easy to become sedentary! And so comfortable! Just do nothing.

Why does this happen? Simply because we are a relatively young species whose technology has advanced much faster than its physical body. And it was that four days ago we lived in the caverns ... If we didn't run we wouldn't hunt and we didn't eat; if we were not agile to climb trees, we ate some predator; if we did not have physical strength we did not last many winters. That is, if we were not physically fit we would not survive.

Today, what is the need to run, hunt, climb or fight? To eat just go to the corner supermarket, go down the stairs (by elevator), walk a little (some go by car) and return with the purchase home (again by elevator). To protect us from wild animals (on two legs, because those on four are in extinction)? Nothing better than a Prosegur alarm, Securitas Direct or a fat lock. What do you have to do to be the alpha male of the tribe and secure the offspring? Nothing man, just bring out the wallet and see that it is well chubby. Anyway, what generates all this?: sedentary lifestyle . What is a sedentary lifestyle? Overweight, cholesterol, triglycerides, being more rigid than the goalkeeper of a table football and having less physical strength than Spanish justice.

How is this solved? How do you fight sedentary lifestyle? There are four options or ways:

1.- Stay as I am , but worse and worse, with the acknowledgment of the years. This is the easiest option to follow, it is like the grooves left by torrents or rivers ... When it rains the water always goes the same way because it offers the least resistance.

2.- To worry about the aesthetics without taking out the garbage can. That is, plastic surgery, some miraculous diet or exercises to lower the belly. There are also those who crush hours and hours in the gym every week doing weights and running like a chicken through Ethiopia to run out of a gram of fat and to see the "chocolate tablet"; not for clear health, but for aesthetics. 

And what is aesthetics good for? To link more ; for nothing else, make it clear. That is to say, we invest years of our life to have a fitness body with the objective that when the summer arrives we have the opportunity to take off our shirt and oh, the females fall at our feet (or if it is a woman, that the men we get torticles). The problem is that if that facade has no content ... bad matter. If we put meringue on shit, shit is still what it is: shit.

3.- Do sports , which everyone says is very good, also is very pro and gives you points for society. What an athlete you are, huh! You go to the Decathlon, you fill yourself well with breathable synthetic clothes, some running shoes (but not very expensive huh!, That our knees and hips do not deserve so much, it is only for hitting) and wing, to throw miles; to sweat like a bastard and in the middle of town, or the sports center, stop snorting and stop the clock (important that people see you making this gesture). «What athlete is X person! How do you take care of yourself! ”People will say. Thing that good, seen from a social perspective is not so bad. The problem will come when X person is fifty years old, his joints broken and his heart waving a white flag with his tongue out.

Notice for navigators: sport is not synonymous with health . The sport is fine if you get paid to do it.

That is, if you are an elite athlete (car player is the best sporting profession you can choose, for the pasta they earn) and your monthly salary derives from it. In that case, if you are shattering at fifty, you look at your checking account and say, “Well, it was worth it; excerpts from the trade, like any other ». But male! Hit you half marathons and marathons every week for hobby, I think at least masochist. If in that sucked face that you have it shows that very healthy you cannot be. The sport also ends up becoming an obsession, it becomes addictive, a drug; and really it is, since a lot of hormones are released with physical exercise that eventually make you feel bad if you fail to generate them.

Another warning for navigators: no matter how much sport we do, no matter how much we run, no matter how little fat we have and no matter how much we take care of ourselves, we will die the same. I remind you in case you had forgotten.

4.- Saint Barbara, Saint Barbara ...! How awful I am! I've seen the wolf's ears! The doctor has told me that either I take care of myself or ...! Friend, this is when you care about your health and the goal is to recover it.

-Yes, I have signed up for the gym, but both aesthetics and sporting purpose bring me carelessly, I want to be healthy.

-Okay, okay, I won't worry , let's design an exercise routine and come two or three times a week; You will see how well you are doing.

And it is true, that in months you will be much better; As you feel better, you will not remember Saint Barbara and what will happen? You will return to point 1.

Health is like repairing a machine that requires maintenance (in fact the physical body is a machine); and there are two types of maintenance: the corrective and the preventive .

People look for the corrective in 90% of the cases, that is, that it heals me, that my health problem is solved and then ... I disregard until the next repair, which will be worse and worse. Maintenance? Ufff, what sacrifice not? We better wait for it to break again and we will repair it. This is how it goes.

5.- Practice Yoga . It is that Yoga is the host, it is the best and above all, the most intelligent . At a stroke we put ourselves before the problem of sedentary lifestyle, by establishing our weekly routine. We work on movement, strength, endurance, flexibility ... and all this without forcing or damaging the physical body. We also work inside, that is, apart from covering ourselves with meringue, we purify the shit and transform it; We do something like an alchemical process in which we transmute lead into gold. We may not get a chocolate tablet for doing Yoga, but who needs it? 

Yoga is first and foremost a preventive exercise , which will help us maintain health longer and above all have a better quality of life, even though, as much Yoga as we do, we will also die someday. Yoga is not a panacea.

Therefore, having seen all this, knowing that we will all die sooner or later and that we have the "Gift of Free Will" (sacred gift where there are any), that each one chooses one or several of these five options, well chosen will be if the We choose freely, voluntarily and consciously. First of all, be free, do what you want and live your life as you want, but do not fool yourself and take responsibility for the consequences of your actions.

Aimar Rollan (Gopal)

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The automatic homo

 "Of all the formidable things that go around the world, the most formidable is undoubtedly man," said the great Greek playwright Sophocles in Antigone, one of his peak works. I certainly share his opinion, but what is man? An animal? A rational animal? A God? A demigod? A programmable automaton? The bridge between an animal and something superior to him? I think it can be all those things. In this post we will see the animal and automaton part of man.

That we are animals there is no doubt; there is nothing more to go to the zoo, to the jungle or spend an afternoon watching documentaries to realize that although man is a "civilized" being, he shares many animal features, specifically what we call instincts .

There are three basic instincts inherent in every animal (including of course the human race):

1- The life conservation instinct: That innate mechanism that alerts us to dangers and urges us in fractions of a second to safeguard our physical integrity at all costs. Even the most depressed and disabled person will try to save his life, without even questioning it, if he is in a mall and someone shouts: "Fire!"

2- The instinct for the preservation of life: What is the difference with the previous one ?, you can think many. Simple:

- Why do you eat? (three times a day the most fortunate)

-Oh Gopal, what a question! Because we are hungry.

-Obviously ... But what makes you hungry? The preservation instinct of life.

Life must be preserved and that is why we feed ourselves (and if it is in abundance better, lest tomorrow we lack food and we have to pull fat); we must also ensure nighttime sleep as well as inclement weather.

Food, clothing and shelter ... That is what urges us to achieve the preservation instinct. Is there any animal that does not eat? Apart from the unfortunates who have nothing to put in their mouths, there is one: the Idealist Homo , the one capable of making a hunger strike, putting their basic instincts before their ideals.

-And those who fast or diet?

-What about those?

- They do not also put in front of their instincts?

- Bearing in mind that 90% of fasts are of a religious nature (that is, something imposed; something programmed in the memory of Homo Automata) and that 90% of those who diet are for being more handsome (here it enters action the third basic instinct that we will now see), I fear that only a few of them are also Homo idealists.

-Ah ...!

3-The procreation instinct: This is the bastard strong! This moves the world. This is so powerful and subtle that we don't even realize it. It is so decisive that it pushes us like an 8-cylinder engine in V for life. Perpetuate the species is one of the top priorities, if not the fundamental objective of all animals. Don't you believe me Watch more documentaries. Thus, everything we do in life is guided consciously or unconsciously by this animal instinct. Most advertising strategies are aimed at this instinct. Why do we go to the gym, take care of ourselves, try to have more status, the biggest car, and a long etc.? This instinct is largely responsible.


Now, we are human, right? And what do humans have that animals don't possess? Intelligence no? And emotions too. More emotions than intelligence I would say.

-Well, where do the basic or primary emotions come from ? (If I put it to egg ...)

-Of the brain?

- Pussy of the basic instincts!

What produces the life conservation instinct? Fear The water is clearer (pure of the mountains; lest some funny tell me that the tap is not so clear). Fear is our greatest friend, and that of all animals. No one has saved more lives in all history than fear.

What produces the life preservation instinct? The ambition What does it take to get food, clothes and shelter? Money , the more money the better. Does this sound to you? What moves the world? The ambition or the desire to make money.

-I'm not ambitious ... I settle for little; I am also anti-capitalist.

Plassss, all over your mouth! (By liar)

What moves us to choose some studies, a profession, a trade? Why do we get out of bed when the alarm rings at six in the morning to go to work? What moves us to mortgage our lives, to buy a bigger car, to fill the shopping cart to the bars, to buy us the collection of spring, summer, autumn, winter ... and spring clothes (by the way very good movie, I recommend it if you have not seen it) and get on the train of sickly consumerism: Yes, ambition; And what is behind the ambition? The instinct of preservation.

What produces the procreation instinct? Sexuality That set of emotions, desires and passions that practically mark the course of our life. Almost everything we do in life aims to satisfy that sexuality (sex, tenderness, affection, love ... Whatever you want to call it).

-What does a teenager want most?

-Without any doubt, fuck at all.

-What does an adult want most?

-Follar also, but hey, we will say that love ... Being loved and loving ... If for this I have to crush myself 8 hours a week in the gym, make a career and achieve an executive position or shave my eyebrows, I do it without doubt, because, what is life without love?

-What does an elder most desire?

-Affection, tenderness ... A calm and carefree old age. (Fuck no, because he can't anymore, but he would like to.)

I insist, what moves the world? Sex Mmmm... I meant the basic instincts .

Why have I titled this post with the name of «Homo automaton»? Because it is. It's that resounding. Man is a robot, a machine, an automaton programmed with three simple instructions, which generate three basic emotions and a conditioned mind and oriented to the achievement of the attainment or appeasement of such instincts and emotions.

I have also spoken of another species: the idealistic Homo. I will talk more about him in another post; Just say that there are few, very few ... They are known as goats outside the flock.

-And Yoga? What does Yoga have to do with all this? Isn't this a Yoga blog? Fuck Gopal, it seems you are talking about everything but Yoga!

-I always talk about Yoga, dear Grasshopper. The goal of Yoga is to deprogram the mind of automata and set them free . We have instincts, yes; emotions, yes; But we also have intelligence and will. Yoga is alchemy that transmutes the animal into human.

Aimar Rollán (Gopal)

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Wisdom vs knowledge (in the form of a platonic dialogue)

 

 

AIMARUS – Today we will talk about knowledge and wisdom.

CRITON -Oh! But they are not the same?

AIMARUS -No, dear Critón, far from each other, although close are the concepts that they have of them.

CRITON: Explain yourself better, because my understanding is eager to differentiate these two concepts that until now I thought were one.

AIMARUS: With pleasure we will find the answer to it, between the two, investigating step by step until solving this differentiation. Let’s start with the following question: Who is the one who knows?

CRITON: A wise man?

AIMARUS: Right. And who is he who knows?

CRITÓN: A connoisseur?

AIMARUS: It could be, but let’s call him a scholar. Scholar is one who knows many things, either one or several subjects. On the other hand, he is the one who knows something, whether it is much or little, but he knows.

CRITON: I see … But I still don’t quite understand what a difference there is between knowing and knowing.

AIMARUS: Do not hurry, excellent Critón, because the doubt that now lurks you is very common even among the very intelligent. Let’s keep investigating:

Knowledge comes from the mind, as does the understanding. We know what is in our mind in the form of memory, because if we do not remember it, even if we have learned it, we do not know it. The mind can collect a huge amount of data, we can know many things, have read hundreds of volumes of diverse topics and therefore believe that we know a lot. But, you will agree with me that the one who has read a lot cannot be considered wise, is it not?

CRITON: Of course not.

AIMARUS: All right. As an example, there was once a swimming scholar who “knew” everything about swimming. He had read hundreds of swimming books and had even written swimming books and given public talks about swimming. It happened that, one day, going from Izmir to Eritrea in a trireme, the poor scholar fell into the water in a sea stroke, and to everyone’s surprise, he died drowned because he could not swim. I knew everything about swimming yes, but I didn’t know how to swim. Are you getting me?

CRITON: Well, how curious! Yes, I think I’m catching you … Knowledge is only theoretical, but wisdom is experimental.

AIMARUS: That’s exactly. You can know many things, but it does not imply that you know them. To know them it is necessary to experience them, it is necessary to integrate them into one through experience. Knowledge is merely mental, wisdom instead becomes tangible, it becomes real. Knowledge comes from the mind, wisdom from the heart. It is no use knowing without knowing. How many useless knowledge do we populate our mind? How many things do we really know? Does fire burn, dear Criton?

CRITON: Hard question! Of course it burns, does everyone know that?

AIMARUS: If you believe? Have you ever burned? Have you checked in your own meats that fire burns?

CRITON: I understand where you’re going. Yes, once I was little I burned a hand with a burning blight.

AIMARUS: Then, friend, you can say that you know that fire burns. And now tell me, is it painful to lose a child?

CRITON: Surely it must be, and also very painful … I don’t think there is anything more painful in fact in this world than losing a child.

AIMARUS: And how do you know?

CRITON: Well … I guess, I understand that it must be despite the fact that fortunately I have never lost one.

AIMARUS: You said it, you don’t know, but since you are intelligent, by reflection you can deduce that it is painful. That is the difference between knowing and knowing. For this reason, wisdom is the very experience of things, and this is deposited in the heart by way of true knowledge, of living knowledge. What we have experienced becomes ours, it is no longer something that “I have heard”, that “has read” or “has told me”; It’s something that I know.

CRITON: I see…

AIMARUS: It is necessary to live experiences and integrate them so that they become the language of the heart: wisdom.

CRITON: I thought that the language of the heart was love.

AIMARUS: And what is love but neighbor-oriented wisdom? Can someone who is not wise love? How can one love what is not known? Moreover, we usually fear and hate what we don’t know. Only wisdom makes us understand and love others, because we see in them what we have lived in us. We see our own experience reflected in them. He loves a lot who knows a lot.

CRITON: This is not so clear.

AIMARUS: Wisdom gives understanding, which is the ability to put oneself in the place of the other and see your experience reflected in his, and as a result of that arises this desire in the chest to help make that person better and happier. We understand your pain because we have previously experienced a similar pain, at some point in our life, and an innate interest in helping you arises. Love is to wisdom, what perfume to the flower, when there is wisdom, love is its natural consequence, for this reason, since time immemorial love and wisdom are associated as indissoluble faces of the same coin.

CRITON: I am losing you Aimarus, your words begin to be unintelligible to me.

AIMARUS: Do not worry nothing happens. Do not believe anything, do not take anything for granted, do not give in to the assumption. Just live, live your life fully with sharp awareness. Look closely at everything that happens to you so that it can be integrated into your heart in the form of wisdom, and that with time and accumulated experiences, it can be said of you that you are a wise man.

CRITON: “I only know that I know nothing”. Is this the first step of wisdom as the wise Socrates said?

AIMARUS: Yes, being aware of your ignorance is a great step towards knowing. We really know very little compared to what we know. The other step is to remain very aware of everything that happens to us and try to learn from everything. The next thing is to give them a useful way out of this knowledge.

CRITON: Already posts, tell me: what is the most important knowledge of all?

AIMARUS: That which once known, makes it unnecessary to know anything else.

 

Fragment from the book El Uno sin segundo, by Aimar Rollan (Gopal).

 

 

 

 

 

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YAMA: The first limb of yoga

Yoga can be practiced by anyone regardless of age, sex, race, physical, psychological or social condition. As long as the interest in practicing it arises in oneself and is not something imposed.

Practicing Yoga is not an obligation, but an act of conscious will.

However, to start an authentic Yoga practice, a requirement is required: to have developed a certain natural moral.

According to Patanjali, the great synthesizer of Yoga techniques, the practice begins on the first ascension step on the 8-step ladder ( asthanga ), which is called Yama (natural moral), and ends in Samadhi (illumination).

Asthanga Yoga :

• Yama. 
• Niyama
• Asana
• Pranayama
• Pratiahara 
• Dharana
• Dhyana
• Samadhi

The Yama is made up of five points:

1. Ahimsa: Do not harm ourselves, or other living beings; unless strictly necessary.

2. Satya: Be truthful, authentic. Do not fool others, much less ourselves.

3. Asteya: Do not steal. Do not betray the trust placed in us by appropriating the alien.

4. Bramhacharya: Moderation. Do not abuse anything, always looking for the right middle ground; the equilibrium.

5. Aparigraha: Do not covet. Seek the simplicity of life and not pretend to rise above our peers.

With these ingredients in our luggage, we are more than ready to venture into the fascinating adventure of Yoga, which is none other than the adventure of Life.

 

 Aimar Rollan (Gopal)

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Niyama: the great unknown

Yoga has eight steps in its realization scale. In a previous post we talked about the first, about Yama , natural morality. Today we will talk about the second, the Niyama .

Most people know Yoga by its third step, the Asanas , or body exercises, by its room, Pranayama , breathing techniques; or at most for his seventh, Dhyana , or meditation. But as indicated in the title, Niyama is the great unknown, despite its great importance.

If the Yama are the observances towards others, the Niyama are the observances towards oneself. And from the point of view of Patanjali Maharishi, and from mine as well, one should not move on to the third step of Yoga without first practicing and integrating Niyama.

Although as things stand today, and with the superficiality that reigns on the planet, I would stay alone in Yoga class if I were so strict; since the vast majority of people are looking for a sport to stretch their backs.

Niyama points:

1.Soucha: Cleaning and purification of the physical body. Here comes personal hygiene, which many have neglected, and deep purification of the physical body, such as cleaning the nose, tongue, stomach and intestines. Yoga has techniques ( kriyas ) for such needs, and its practice contributes significantly to improve health, by eliminating both "external" dirt and internal. We will go deeper into another post on such issues.

2.Santosha: Contentment. This word is of the utmost importance to find happiness in this life. Contentment does not mean resignation, or conformism, it means being content with what one is and possesses in each moment, in this life. What happens to us at a given time is the best that could happen to our personal evolution at a given time; and what we have is what we need.So contentment brings us equanimity, peace and happiness. In the end it is a matter of intelligence: love what you do, love what you have, love the people with whom you share your life, love what happens to you in every moment. With this mental attitude, what can cloud our happiness?

3.Tapas: Means asceticism, austerity, or self-discipline. You don't have to be an ascetic, or make votes of any kind. It simply means that a practice must be sought and followed with discipline every day; that is part of the daily routine, such as eating, drinking or sleeping. Starting something is easy, be it an activity or a relationship. The really difficult thing is to keep it in time, to have enough perseverance to deepen it, without giving in to the first difficulties. In the end, constant practice makes one a teacher, whatever the discipline; but in this case, by faithfully following the practices of Yoga, one becomes a Master with capital letters, in the art of Life.

4.Swadhyaya: Spiritual or metaphysical study. Knowledge is power, and if we do not know our object of study, practices lack direction and depth. What is our object of study? We ourselves, the Being, the Atman, the ultimate meaning of existence. "Oh man, know yourself!" It was the inscription of the frontispiece of the sanctuary of Delphi. This has always been the maxim of Gnosis, of the knowledge of the Self. He who does not devote time to the study of such questions, is ignorant, and I do not say it in a derogatory tone, but with the meaning that ignorant is one who ignores something, and if in this case it is a relative knowledge of himself, his ignorance is even more devious.

5. Iswara Pranidhana : Surrender to the absolute, devotion to God. This is perhaps the most conflictive point, especially today in our western culture. It consists in rendering our actions to the divine that dwells in us, in having faith and devotion in God, or that principle that underlies all things, orders them and gives them meaning. In any case it is not a blind faith, but a certainty that arises with practice. A certainty that there is something beyond the finite matter, something that transcends, sustains and orders it. We are not alone in our journey, and although we are not aware of it, sooner or later, Iswara Pranidhana awakens in every sincere seeker.

These are the five principles of Niyama .
(A bit of irony)
- Do you practice Yoga?
- Yes, the practical in the sports center for three months; Look how I bend and how I make the pine. I think in three more months of practice I have already mastered it.
- Me too, I have been practicing it for a year, I think I will soon take a course to be a teacher.
- The other day I read a post about Niyama.
- Niyama? What is that?

 

Aimar Rollan (Gopal)

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